Socket for electric-light globes



J. A. SARGENT.

SOCKET FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT moses.

APPLICATION HLED JUNE 13. 1919.

Patented July 5, 1921,

F15: LL

UNITED STATES ATET OFFICE.

socxn'r ron ELECTRIC-LIGHT omens.-

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 5, 1921.

Application filed June 13, 1919. Serial No. 303,956.

have invented certain new and useful Imrovements in Sockets for Electric-Li ht lobes, of which the following is a spec1fi cation.

This invention relates to sockets for electric light globes, and its object is to provide a simpler, cheaper and more efficient, form of socket-than that at presentin general use. At present sockets for electrlc light globes are provided with two spring operated contact pins held in electric communicationby means of screws with current conveying wires, and adapted also to make contact with terminals on the globe. Owing to the electric energy, the springs become heated and lose their resiliency with the result that they are frequently rendered useless, andthe necessary contact to enable the globe to be illuminated, is not made. Another disadvantage is the contact of the current conveying Wires with thespring operated contact pins by means of screws, which owing to the small area they provide, do'not make a satisfactory connection.

This invention overcomes the above defects by. employing immovable contact pieces fixed in the socket plug against the wires and by attaching the globe to the socket by means of sloping bayonet joints which force the terminals on the globe into contact with the aforesaid contact pieces. r

In carrying out the invention the fitting is provided with a plug of non-conducting material, formed at the top with a hole to receive the cords of the electric circuit. From said hole passages lead to recesses in the lower portion of the plug. The bared ends of the current conveying wires are passed through said passages to said recesses, where they are held in electric communication with the contact pieces, which project below the plug, said contact pieces in turn making contact with the-globe terminals when required. i

The attachment of the globe to the fitting 'is made by causing the pins on the plug of socket or in the thimble fitted. thereto, engagingsaid pins. 1

The lnvention will be more readily understood on .referenceto 'the. accompanying drawing in which F 'gure 1 is a sectional elevation of one form of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of a socket taken at right angles to the.view shown in F 1g. 1, and showing portions of globe and shade.

Fig. 3 shows in perspective, a plug formed in halves as usedin Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a contactpiece as used in Figs. 1, 2, and 3.

Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation of the invention in a further form.

Fig. 6 shows an enlarged perspective of the plug in halves as used in Fig. 5. I

Fig. 7 is a sectional elevation of a still further construction. 3

Figs. 8 and 9 are a plan and bottom view respectively of the plug and the thimble shown in Fig. 7.

Fig. 10 is a sectional elevation showing the invention applied to a diflerent construction of socket and means for securing the shade in position.

Fig. 11 illustrates in plan the shade securing ring used in Fig. 10.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 4, a plug of nonconducting material. and formed in halves 1, 2, is fitted in the upper portion of the socket casing 3. In the upper end of each half 1,2 is an opening 4 which when the halves are united by the screw 5 (Fig. 2), combine to form a hole to receive the cords of the circuit. The half 2 contains two holes 7 leading downward to recesses 8, and the half 1 has fitted thereto so as to. project below same contact pieces 9, each formed with a head 10 thereon. The "bared ends 11 of the current conveying wires contained in the cords 6 are led through the holes'7 to the recesses 8, so that when the halves 1 100 and 2 are. united, one side of each'head 10 of the contact pieces 9,. is forced against a ,bared end-11 of the current conveying wires,

the heads 10 being made large enough to with the ends 11 of the wires.

The socket casing 3 has a shoulder 12' against which abuts a flange 13 on the plug, 10

also in the lower portion of the casing 3, are vertical slots 14.

In placing the globe 15 in position, the plug 15 thereof is inserted in the lower portion. of the socket casing 3, so that the globe terminals 16 make contact with the contact pieces 9 and also so that the pins 17, on the globe plug 15 enter and pro ect through vertical slots 14. v

' A thimble 18 turnable on the casing 3 1s formed with bayonet grooves 19 thereln, which latter engages the pins 17, and lock the lobe 15 in th casing and insure the termlnals 16 being pressed hard up against the contact pieces 9.

A stud 3 on the casing 3 engages the plug and prevents it turning within the casing.

A shade 20 is suspended from above the thimble 1s.

The plug (Figs. 5 and 6) is formed 1n halves 21 and 22 each half being provided with an apron 23, in which is a vertical slot 24. The upper portion of the plug is tapered and externally threaded, so that the ring 25 can unite the two portions.

' From the opening 26 in the top of each half 21, 22 a passage 27 leads to a recess 28, directly opposite the head 29 of a contact 30 in the opposite half the contact pieces 30 projecting below the flange 31.

The bared ends 11 of the wires contained in the cords 6 are in this construction led one through each passage 27 in each half to a recess 28, and when the halves 21, 22 are united by the ring 25, one side of the head 29 of each contact piece 30 enters the recess 28 in the other half of the plug and is forced against the bared ends 11 of the wire therein.

The globe 15 is attached by inserting the pins 17 in the slots 24 and employing a thimble 18 with bayonet grooves 19 therein, as before described. The shade 20 is secured between the thimble 18 and the ring 25.

The fitting shown in Fig. 7 has 'a solid plug 32 from the cord opening 33 in which passages 34 diverge downward to grooves 35 in the periphery of the plug which grooves 35 in turn open into recesses 37. In each recess 37 the upper portion of a contact piece 38 of the type shown in Fig. 10, is inserted, to make contact with the bared ends of the current conveying wires each of which is passed through a passage 34, a roove 35, and enters a recess 37.

he contact pieces 38 have flanges 39 and project through .the top of a thimble 40 in the lower portion 41, of the socket casmemes ing, said thimble being secured to the plug 32 by a central screw, insulated washers 42 preventing electrical communication between the contact pieces 38 and the thimble 40.

. A globe plug 15 is inserted in the thimble 40 which has vertical slots 43 to take the pins 44 which also engage in embossed ba onet grooves 45 in the casing. The thimble 40, and the plug 32 are turnable in the casing 41, the turning movement causing the grooves 45 to force the pins 44 upward and press the globe terminals 16 against the contact pieces 38. The shade 20 rests in the shoulder 46 and is clamped in position by a ring 47 having a mutilated thread working on a correspondingly threadedupper portion of the casing.

The construction of the plug and thimble and'the fitting of the globe to the socket are the same in Fig. 10 as in Fig. 7, but the socket casing 48 has a shoulder 49 up toward which the shade 20 is forced by the ring 49*, which is gaped as at 50 (Fig. 11) to pass over the embossed bayonet grooves 45, after which it is given a partial turn and rests on'said grooves. A soft Washer 51 is placed between the shade 20 and the shoulder 49.

A spring 52 contained in an embossed portion 53 of the casing 48 and attached at one end to the latter and at the other end to the thimble 40, prevents the pins 44 from leaving the bayonet grooves 45.

What I do claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is z--- 1. An lectric light lobe socket comprising a plug of non-confucting material split longitudinally to provide a plurality of substantially identical sections, each section having a top recess and bottom recesses, passages in the plug extending from the top recesses to the bottom recesses, immovable contact pieces located in the bottom recesses and designed to engage wire ends projecting through the passages, means for locking the two sections together and for locking the' I JOHN ALEXANDER SARGENT.

Witnessesz E. H. CAPLEN, H. CAPLEN. 

